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                  <p class="p_Heading1"><span class="f_Heading1">Time Intervals</span></p>



  
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                <p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">You create and manage Time Intervals using the </span><span class="f_BodyText" style="font-style: italic;">Interval Bar</span><span class="f_BodyText"> (the pale line along the top of each selected Lifeline element). Time Intervals enable you to perform various operations on transitions, such as copy and paste. They also enable you to compress sections of the timeline so that they are not visible.</span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">Each Time Interval displays across all Timeline elements down to the last element on the diagram.</span></p>
<p class="p_SubHeadingL1"><span class="f_SubHeadingL1">Create Time Intervals<a name="createti"></a></span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">To create a Time Interval, follow one of the three sets of steps below:</span></p>
<p class="p_SubHeadingL2"><span class="f_SubHeadingL2">Interval Bar - Context Menu</span></p>
<ol style="text-indent: 0px; margin-left: 48px; list-style-position: outside;">
<li value=1><span class="f_NumberedList">Right-click on the Interval Bar at approximately the point at which to start or finish the Time Interval.</span><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">&nbsp;</span><br>
<img src="time%20interval%20create.png" width="139" height="301" border="0" alt="Time Interval Create"><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">&nbsp;</span><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">The context menu displays.</span></li>
<li value=2><span class="f_NumberedList">Select the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Create Time Interval</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> option. The Time Interval displays down all the timeline elements, as a narrow pale band with a blue compression box at the top.</span><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">&nbsp;</span><br>
<img src="timeinterval3.png" width="152" height="304" border="0" alt="TimeInterval3"><br>
<span class="f_NumberedList">&nbsp;</span></li>
<li value=3><span class="f_NumberedList">Move the cursor to the edge of the Time Interval in the Interval Bar so that the cursor changes to the drag form (</span><img src="leftrightcursor.png" width="24" height="16" border="0" alt="Leftrightcursor"><span class="f_NumberedList">) and drag the edge to the correct start or end point.</span></li>
</ol>
<p class="p_SubHeadingL2"><span class="f_SubHeadingL2">Interval Bar - [Shift] key</span></p>
<ol style="text-indent: 0px; margin-left: 48px; list-style-position: outside;">
<li value=1><span class="f_NumberedList">Move the cursor over the Interval Bar and press </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">[Shift]</span><span class="f_NumberedList">. The cursor changes shape (</span><img src="ticreatecursor.png" width="20" height="16" border="0" alt="TICreateCursor"><span class="f_NumberedList">).</span></li>
<li value=2><span class="f_NumberedList">Click to create the Time Interval.</span></li>
<li value=3><span class="f_NumberedList">Move the cursor to the edge of the Time Interval in the Interval Bar so that the cursor changes to the drag form (</span><img src="leftrightcursor.png" width="24" height="16" border="0" alt="Leftrightcursor"><span class="f_NumberedList">) and drag the edge to the correct start or end point.</span></li>
</ol>
<p class="p_SubHeadingL2"><span class="f_SubHeadingL2">Timeline - Context menu</span></p>
<ol style="text-indent: 0px; margin-left: 48px; list-style-position: outside;">
<li value=1><span class="f_NumberedList">Right-click on the timeline just after a transition. The context menu displays.</span></li>
<li value=2><span class="f_NumberedList">Click on the</span><span class="f_MenuKeyField"> Select</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> menu option. Enterprise Architect creates a Time Interval covering the period from the selected transition up to the next transition.</span></li>
</ol>
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<td valign="bottom" width="955" bgcolor="#efeff7" style="width:955px; background-color:#efeff7;"><p class="p_TiporNote" style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none;"><span class="f_TiporNote">Notes:</span></p>
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<td width="955" bgcolor="#f7f7ff" style="width:955px; background-color:#f7f7ff;"><ul style="text-indent: 0px; margin-left: 14px; list-style-position: outside;">
<li><span class="f_TiporNoteText">If there are other Time Intervals in this period, Enterprise Architect replaces them with the single Time Interval for the transition state. You should consider this when creating the Time Interval, as it extends across the other Timeline Elements in the diagram.</span></li>
<li><span class="f_TiporNoteText">A value of this method is that it creates a Time Interval for a period in which no transitions occur, which could be lengthy. You can then compress this Time Interval (see below) to hide the period of inactivity. See also <a href="time_interval_operations.htm#CompressTimeline">Compress Timeline</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
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<p class="p_SubHeadingL1"><span class="f_SubHeadingL1">Compress Time Intervals</span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">You can compress Time Intervals to conserve space on long timelines.</span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText" style="font-weight: bold;">Uncompressed Time Intervals</span></p>
<p class="p_TextIndentedL2"><img src="time%20interval.png" width="508" height="241" border="0" alt="Time interval"></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText" style="font-weight: bold;">Compressed Time Intervals</span></p>
<p class="p_TextIndentedL2" style="margin: 13px 0px 13px 13px;"><img src="time%20intervals%20compressed.png" width="307" height="240" border="0" alt="Time Intervals Compressed"></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText" style="font-style: italic;">Notice:</span></p>
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<td valign="top" width="108" bgcolor="#e3e6ed" style="width:108px; background-color:#e3e6ed; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tableheader"><span class="f_Tableheader">Item</span></p>
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<td valign="top" width="464" bgcolor="#e3e6ed" style="width:464px; background-color:#e3e6ed; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tableheader"><span class="f_Tableheader">Description</span></p>
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<td valign="top" width="108" style="width:108px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p><span class="f_ImageCaption">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><img src="expansion%20box.png" width="16" height="16" border="0" alt="expansion box"><span class="f_ImageCaption"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="compression%20box.png" width="17" height="17" border="0" alt="Compression box"></span></p>
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<td valign="top" width="464" style="width:464px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">The compression toggle boxes:</span></p>
<ul style="text-indent: 0px; margin-left: 30px; list-style-position: outside;">
<li><img src="expansion%20box.png" width="16" height="16" border="0" alt="expansion box"><span class="f_Bulletlist1"> is expanded, click on this to compress the selected time interval</span></li>
<li><img src="compression%20box.png" width="17" height="17" border="0" alt="Compression box"><span class="f_Bulletlist1"> is compressed, click on this to expand the selected time interval again.</span></li>
</ul>
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<td valign="top" width="108" style="width:108px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><img src="compressed%20open.png" width="25" height="61" border="0" alt="Compressed Open"><span class="f_Tabletext"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><img src="compressed.png" width="30" height="37" border="0" alt="Compressed"></p>
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<td valign="top" width="464" style="width:464px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">The compressed </span><span class="f_Tabletext">sections of the timelines themselves, in all</span><span class="f_Tabletext"> elements.</span></p>
<p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">If there is space between the paired symbols, there are transitions within the compressed section.</span></p>
<p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">If the timeline continues through the paired symbols there are no transitions in the compressed section.</span></p>
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<td valign="top" width="108" style="width:108px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">25&nbsp; ...&nbsp;&nbsp; 55</span></p>
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<td valign="top" width="464" style="width:464px; border: solid 1px #000000;"><p class="p_Tabletext"><span class="f_Tabletext">The compressed sections in the time range underneath the elements.</span></p>
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<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">You can also compress and expand Time Intervals using context menu options; see <a href="time_interval_operations.htm">Time Interval Operations on Transitions</a>.</span></p>
<p class="p_SubHeadingL1"><span class="f_SubHeadingL1">Select Time Intervals<a name="selecttimeintervals"></a></span></p>
<ul style="text-indent: 0px; margin-left: 30px; list-style-position: outside;">
<li><span class="f_Bulletlist1">To select a Time Interval across all elements on the diagram, click on the Interval Bar within the Time Interval.</span></li>
<li><span class="f_Bulletlist1">To select a number of individual Time Intervals, press and hold </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">[Ctrl]</span><span class="f_Bulletlist1"> while clicking on the Interval Bar within each Time Interval.</span></li>
<li><span class="f_Bulletlist1">To select all Time Intervals in a range, click on the Interval Bar within the first Time Interval in the range, then press and hold </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">[Shift]</span><span class="f_Bulletlist1"> and click on the Interval Bar within the last Time Interval in the range. All Time Intervals between the two are selected.</span></li>
</ul>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">After you have selected one or more Time Intervals, you can modify the selection in the following ways:</span></p>
<ul style="text-indent: 0px; margin-left: 30px; list-style-position: outside;">
<li><span class="f_Bulletlist1">To exclude Lifeline elements from the selection, press and hold </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">[Ctrl] </span><span class="f_Bulletlist1">and click on any part of the selection within that element. In the diagram below, the Value Lifeline is excluded from selection.</span><br>
<span class="f_Bulletlist1">&nbsp;</span><br>
<img src="time%20interval%20selected.png" width="618" height="226" border="0" alt="Time Interval Selected"><br>
<span class="f_Bulletlist1">&nbsp;</span><br>
<span class="f_Bulletlist1">Repeat the step to toggle the selection and re-include the element. See also <a href="time_interval_operations.htm#Toggle">Toggle Interval Selection</a>.</span></li>
<li><span class="f_Bulletlist1">To select only one Lifeline element and exclude all others, press and hold </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">[Shift] </span><span class="f_Bulletlist1">and click on any part of the selection within that element.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 13px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" border="0" style="border: none; border-spacing:0px;">
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom;">
<td valign="bottom" width="955" bgcolor="#efeff7" style="width:955px; background-color:#efeff7;"><p class="p_TiporNote" style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none;"><span class="f_TiporNote">Note:</span></p>
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<td width="955" bgcolor="#f7f7ff" style="width:955px; background-color:#f7f7ff;"><p class="p_TiporNoteText"><span class="f_TiporNoteText">Selection is useful for cutting, copying and pasting transitions.</span></p>
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<p class="p_SubHeadingL1"><span class="f_SubHeadingL1">Move and Resize Time Intervals</span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">To move a Time Interval, move the cursor over the Interval bar within the Time Interval, hold down the mouse button and drag the interval left or right.</span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">To resize a Time Interval, move the cursor over the Interval Bar at the start or end edge of the Time Interval, hold down the mouse button and move the edge left or right. </span></p>
<div style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 13px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" border="0" style="border: none; border-spacing:0px;">
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom;">
<td valign="bottom" width="955" bgcolor="#efeff7" style="width:955px; background-color:#efeff7;"><p class="p_TiporNote" style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none;"><span class="f_TiporNote">Note:</span></p>
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<td width="955" bgcolor="#f7f7ff" style="width:955px; background-color:#f7f7ff;"><p class="p_TiporNoteText"><span class="f_TiporNoteText">Time Intervals can meet, but cannot overlap.</span></p>
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<p class="p_SubHeadingL1"><span class="f_SubHeadingL1">Delete Time Intervals</span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText"><a href="time_intervals.htm#SelectTimeIntervals">Select</a> each Time Interval to be deleted and press </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">[Delete]</span><span class="f_BodyText">.</span></p>
<div style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 13px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" border="0" style="border: none; border-spacing:0px;">
<tr style="text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom;">
<td valign="bottom" width="955" bgcolor="#efeff7" style="width:955px; background-color:#efeff7;"><p class="p_TiporNote" style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none;"><span class="f_TiporNote">Note:</span></p>
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<td width="955" bgcolor="#f7f7ff" style="width:955px; background-color:#f7f7ff;"><p class="p_TiporNoteText"><span class="f_TiporNoteText">Deleting the Time Interval does not delete transitions within that interval.</span></p>
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